


Until it Sleeps

by brodylover



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Cuddling, M/M, Purgatory, light destiel, washing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-11
Updated: 2012-12-11
Packaged: 2017-11-20 22:23:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/590297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brodylover/pseuds/brodylover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>written just before Castiel returned from Purgatory. Very very light destiel. Probably not enough for it to really count</p>
            </blockquote>





	Until it Sleeps

The Impala's purr cut off abruptly as Dean parked her, taking the keys out of the ignition. He poked at Sam, who was asleep in the passenger seat, before rising from his seat and stretching his legs. His knees popped loudly, unhappy with how long they'd been driving, and Dean swore under his breath. With Sam following drowsily he went to the office of the little motel and got them a room, two queens, just as always.  
There had been a lot of deaths in town, people found with their throats torn out. Dean hated vampires, hated fighting them, but he couldn't just let them wander freely. It was on the way, anyhow. They'd gotten a lead on Kevin and his mom, just a state over. Sam was smarter than Dean remembered and he was able to track the Tran's credit cards.   
He was tired though and he crashed into the bed as soon as they entered their room. Dean smiled down at him. Sometimes he was still just a little kid. They could start searching in the morning.   
Dean didn't sleep very much anymore. He didn't like what came to him in his sleep, in his dreams. That last sight he'd had of Cas, as he was dragged away by Leviathan's, utterly terrified and screaming Dean's name was always there when he closed his eyes. The angel rarely showed emotion, yet he was scared then, obviously, the emotions splayed on his face like so much stubble.   
So instead he researched, looked up the murders in the town, learned the streets and the most likely places for the vampires to be hiding out, tried to watch some Asian cartoon porn, but it didn't do anything for him. It was close to 5am when he finally crawled into bed, sitting upright with his back against the headboard, and slept. Within moments he was peering into those bright blue eyes and hearing his name being cried out as Cas was torn away from him.   
Two hours later and he was up again, dressed, and getting ready to head out. There was a little café down the block that looked decent enough; they'd be heading there for breakfast.   
Dean felt weird being the one to relay all of the information. That had been Sam's job before. He was the one who had done the research though; he had all of the facts and rumors. He was telling him where he thought the nest was when they passed a homeless man sitting against one of the buildings. He asked them something, probably for their change, but Dean said they didn't have any, not even looking at him. It was strange though, this was a small town, absolutely tiny, normally there weren't that many homeless around places like this.  
But he reached out, grabbing onto Dean's pant leg and held tight. He kept repeating his question, or maybe it was a word, his voice too hoarse to understand.   
"Dude, I said I don't have anything!" Dean shook his pant leg free. What was with this guy? He did look down though, looked at who this crazy was.  
He stopped, his mouth dry.  
The man was wearing white clothes, but you could hardly tell that, they were so coated in blood and dirt and ash. His coat was nothing but gray rags, a hint of the original beige poking through around the collar. All of him was filthy, his black hair so long it almost covered his piercing blue eyes, his beard a dark shadow obscuring his face.  
"Cas!" Dean exclaimed, falling to his knees and clutching the man, hoisting him up and into his arms. He hugged him tightly and was horribly saddened as he was. Yes, Cas was back, everything was good, somehow he'd survived and had gotten out of Purgatory, but as Dean touched him he could feel each individual rib through his tattered clothing, his breathes ragged and large, expanding the delicate frame.  
"Cas?" Sam asked, not so sure, "You said Cas was dead!"  
"Well, I guess I was wrong, wasn't I?" Dean was slightly disgusted in his brother. He should be happier, should be there with Dean, burying his face into the angel's grimy neck. Dean never wanted to let Cas go now that he was here. He finally pulled away from him and looked into those eyes, "How did you do it? How did you get out?"  
Cas tried to explain but all that came out was a garbled wheeze. He could hardly speak.   
That didn't matter, it could wait, "Come on, let's get you home."  
He stood, pulling Cas up with him, but the angel just fell forward again, his legs too weak to support him. Dean caught him and it was clear that Cas wouldn't be able to walk. He must have been human then; if he'd been an angel he would be in tip top condition. Dean hoisted him up in his arms and carried him back to the motel, Cas's warmth seeping through his shirt. Sam would catch up with them; he had his orders, as much food as he could carry.  
Dean dumped the limp angel onto the bed, pushing him into a poor sitting position. He seemed loopy, like he wasn't quite clear as to what was going on. Dean got a glass of water from the kitchenette and forced it down Cas's throat, before refilling it and making him drink twice more. After that the breathing came easier, the words more understandable.   
"Had. Getout." He stammered, his voice still shaky and quiet, "Human body. Jimmy. Only way."  
Dean doubted that Cas would be strong enough to get out of the mess that was his clothes himself, and he probably wouldn't help Dean get them off either. He took his knife and started to cut them away from the angel, who didn't complain. There was nothing to save anyway.   
"Not enough. Tookgrace. MorenI had."  
He grabbed Dean's hand then and pressed it against his chest, just under his pectoral on one side. Dean could feel the heat there, the blinding, painful heat, what he'd felt in his arm with Benny's soul inside of him. He cut the shirt off of him to reveal two glowing souls, pulsing and fighting to leave Cas's body.   
"I thought you were done swallowing souls." Dean felt hurt, they'd been down that road before, when Cas had become God.   
"Balthzar. Gabrell." He elucidated.   
So he had brought angels with him; had to use their grace as well as his own to get back. Dean didn't know how they'd find their bodies, but maybe there were new vessels for them to find.   
"Hurts." Cas's hand was still gripping Dean's wrist, but it was tightening.  
"Yeah, I know." Dean cut into Cas's side, the angel gasping and crying out in pain as he sliced. The angel's faded away though, evaporating into the air. They could find their bodies on their own. Dean could only take care of one angel right now.   
He felt like an idiot though. He should have cleaned Cas before freeing the other souls. If he really was human, he'd get infected from Dean's cut. He bandaged it up as best he could without leaving the angel's side. They had more supplies but they were in the Impala. Dean didn't want to take his eyes off of Cas though, he didn't want him to vanish.   
Dean cut off his pants next, even his briefs, regardless of how embarrassed it made him. Cas didn't care, but Dean averted his eyes as much as he could. He could see the goose pimples growing on the angel's skin so he threw the cold blankets over him, hoping that they'd warm up and warm him up while they waited.  
For the first time Dean left Cas, heading into the bathroom to start running the bath. It was small, but Cas had become so small while he was away. Dean had noticed how thin he'd become, how pale. There were gashes that were half healed and inflamed wounds that oozed puss on Cas's body and he was still having a hard time breathing, like his ribcage was too heavy for his lungs to handle.   
He poured some of the free soap and shampoo into the water as it ran. As long as it was bubbling it would be good. There was also a bar of soap, so it wasn't like they were going to run out. When the tub had filled with water, just slightly too hot, he returned to the angel.   
For a moment he was afraid that he was dead, he was moving so little. He had fallen asleep and for once his breathing seemed normal. Dean didn't want to wake him, but he stroked his beard and the angel was up with a start. He'd probably expected Dean to be some monster looking for an easy meal.   
"Come on." Dean cooed, "Let's get you cleaned up."  
Cas didn't fight him as he helped him to the bathroom, his legs still weak underneath him. He clung onto Dean and they moved slow, too slow, but it was a start. Dean had to lift his legs for him to get him into the bath.  
The water turned gray immediately as Cas sank into it, hissing slightly. Dean stayed on the outside, soaking a hand towel in soap and murky water before scrubbing at Cas's filthy skin. He was as careful as he could be around the damaged spots, but the angel still hissed a bit. It was getting to the point where the water was so dirty that Cas was no longer getting any cleaner, so Dean drained the tub with him still in it, pouring in new water. Soon enough Cas was hissing and trying to move away from the water, so Dean knew it was too hot, probably far too hot considering how little the angel showed. He added cold water until Cas was able to get comfortable again.  
The door in the other room opened and Cas jumped, thinking there was an intruder. It was just Sam though, a huge bag of food in his hands. He joined them in the bathroom but didn't say anything, just handed Cas a takeout container full of scrambled eggs and a plastic fork. Dean kept working at getting him clean while he ripped the container open and pretty much inhaled the eggs. He really was human then.   
Sam was good, he didn't make any faces at Dean for having to wash a naked angel, he didn't ask any questions, he just leaned against the counter and ate sausage. His presence was enough though.   
He handed Cas the towel when Dean decided that he was as clean as they could get him at the moment and helped pat him down. He was a lot stronger and actually took the container of sausage from the hunter before Dean led him back to bed. He sat on the edge, just watching Cas. That was enough for him, knowing he was there.  
Sam finally asked the question that had been nagging him as he stood in the doorway, "How did you even find us?"  
"I stole a car." Cas explained around a mouthful of sausage, "Looked for supernatural occurrences. This seemed like a place you'd be."  
"So you've just been guessing?" Dean ruffled his fingers through Cas's hair loosening more dirt and rocks.   
"Only one guess. I've been here for a few days, hoping. I knew you'd come eventually."  
"And if we didn't?"  
"I would keep waiting."  
Dean wrapped Cas back up in the blankets once he was done with his food and he was asleep again almost immediately. He didn't want to, but he had to leave. He had to get supplies for Cas, clothes, a razor, antiseptic, a toothbrush, everything. There was so much he'd need now that he was back and human, so many things that Dean didn't even know. Sam promised that he'd keep an eye on him while he was gone and Dean believed him.  
It was in an alleyway that Dean heard the muffled sounds of a struggle. He almost ignored it, kept going, but he stopped for a moment too long, seeing the glean of long teeth. He was down and in that alley fast, the knife he kept in his waistband in his hand. The guy was doing a good job fighting, the best he could, but there was a vampire on him, angry from being out in the sunlight.   
Dean slit the son of a bitch's throat before sending the victim on his way. Looked like there was a case there after all. He'd been so caught up in Cas that he'd almost forgotten.   
He kept the encounter in his head, the location sticking up like a post-it note. He'd tell Sam later and, while Cas was recuperating, they'd take care of it. It looked like Cas might need some time. 

That night, after Dean had gotten everything he could think of, he had helped Cas to shave, the angel had eaten everything he could get his hands on, they went to bed. He understood that Cas needed sleep, but Dean didn't expect that he would need any himself. It had been so long since he had slept that it seemed weird to go to bed at a decent time.  
Sam had offered to sleep in the Impala, let them sleep separately but Dean wouldn't have it. He knew Cas, he knew what he needed. He had never said it and he had never reacted to it in the past, but he needed contact. He needed someone to hold him and touch him and care of him. He'd learned that in the darkened lands of Purgatory.  
So Dean shared a bed with him and told him that if he woke up screaming it would be okay, bad dreams are normal. Sam made fun of him for that chick flick moment, and for the fact that he was sleeping with a dude, but they were light jokes. Sam knew what they needed.   
Dean was curled up loosely, actually sleeping on his side for once, both eyes closed. Cas was in the exact same position as him, his back to Dean's front, his knees wrapping around the hunters. He fit perfectly against Dean and the man squeezed him tight, his arms once again feeling those ribs.   
It was the first night since he'd come back that Dean didn't have any bad dreams.


End file.
